BLAT salad

Bacon, lettuce, avocado and tomato: it's pretty straightforward - delicious. Use free-range bacon, preferably from a smokehouse if you can find it, and whichever tomatoes are ripest on the day.

Ingredients

200 ml olive oil

200 gm thinly sliced rindless streaky bacon

200 gm Vienna-style white bread, diced

1 garlic clove, crushed

6 cups (loosely packed) mesclun

700 gm mixed cherry tomatoes, halved

4 oxheart tomatoes, cut into wedges

2 avocados, cut into wedges

Buttermilk dressing

130 ml buttermilk

2 tsp Dijon mustard

Juice of 1 small lemon

2 tbsp mellow-flavoured extra-virgin olive oil

2 tbsp finely chopped chives

Method

Main

1

Preheat oven to 150C. Heat 1 tbsp oil in a large non-stick frying pan over high heat and fry bacon in batches, turning occasionally, until crisp (5-7 minutes). Transfer to an oven tray lined with baking paper and keep warm in the oven.Chop into bite-sized pieces before serving.

2

Strain bacon fat and wipe frying pan clean, then return strained fat to pan and bring to medium-high heat. Combine bread, garlic and remaining oil in a bowl and toss to coat bread. Season bread to taste and fry it in bacon fat,turning occasionally, until golden and crisp (2-4 minutes). Drain on paper towels briefly.

3

Meanwhile, for buttermilk dressing, shake ingredients in a sealed jar to combine and season to taste.

4

Combine mesclun, tomatoes and avocado in a bowl. Add bacon and fried bread and lightly toss to combine. Transfer to a platter, drizzle with buttermilk dressing and serve.